Suspect in Pearl City shooting turns himself in

PEARL CITY (HawaiiNewsNow) - An Ewa Beach man turned himself in to police Saturday night in connection with a Pearl City shooting that left a man in critical condition.

Honolulu Police and CrimeStoppers said Claude Custard surrendered at the main police station at about 8:40 p.m..

Authorities said the shooting happened at about 2 a.m. outside the Princess Palace hostess bar, in the basement level of the Pearl City Business Plaza at 807 Kamehameha Highway.

"The suspect and the victim got into an argument inside of the establishment, then went outside where it continued," said Sgt. Kim Buffett of CrimeStoppers. "The victim approached the suspect while he was driving away, and the suspect fired multiple shots, hitting the victim."

A witness who did not want to be identified said the gunman waited near some Dumpsters near the parking lot exit, apparently waiting for the victim to drive out. The witness also said he heard four shots.

The suspect also shot at another man coming out of the bar. "He didn't know what was going on but came out and said, 'Hey, what's going on?' And he was fired at. Fortunately, the suspect missed him," said Buffett.

"Right now, the suspect would be charged with two charges of attempted murder," she said.

Longtime regulars say it's the first time they've ever had a shooting at the Plaza, where most of the businesses are bars and lounges.

"I'm not here in the night. I only come in the daytime. It's an older crowd," said bar patron Wendell Dela Cruz. "In the nighttime, it's the younger crowd. So it's two different types of people drinking."

Police also want to talk to people who saw what happened.

"We are asking for witnesses because there were people in the parking lot. Nobody has come forward," Buffett said.